disproportionately rare

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "disproportionately rare" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is not only rare but is also rare to a greater extent compared to other similar things or situations. Example: "The species is considered disproportionately rare in this region, making conservation efforts even more critical."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Compared to non-native instructors in TESOL and commonly taught foreign languages in the United States such as Spanish and French, non-native instructors of the Chinese language are disproportionately rare.

Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education

In organizations where these individuals were disproportionately rare, they already may have felt that they were being treated unfairly.

Huffington Post

Most common variants have already been identified; the novel variants are disproportionately rare and thus more likely to be observed in only one of the studied populations.

Genome Medicine

We asked whether large indels were disproportionately rare, as might be expected if larger indels are subject to stronger purifying selection.

Genome Biology and Evolution

Studies of epidemics at the herd-level within distinct geographical regions [ 6- 10] are disproportionately rare, relative to the impact that PCVAD had on production, possibly due to diagnostic uncertainty and availability of geographical and temporal information required to make inferences about the spread.

BMC Veterinary Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

"I have the distinct impression that a real mania has broken out among coin collectors," Dr. Stoyan said, which would take rare coins disproportionately more often out of circulation.

The New York Times - Science

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex neurodegenerative disease, characterized genetically by a disproportionately large contribution of rare genetic variation.

Trends in Genetics

Sponge losses could not be attributed to predators, physical disturbance (including a hurricane), extreme episodes of other abiotic factors, or disproportionately great loss of rare species due to random fluctuations.

Biological Conservation

I don't believe we disproportionately selected the more rare haplotypes.

Biology Direct

A species that uses all niches in the same proportion as their availability in the environment should be considered more opportunistic than a species that uses rare resources disproportionately more.

BMC Ecology

The subtype distribution in the total cohort are similar to that described in the literature 2. However, FGFR1 amplification was found to be present disproportionately in the more rare histological variants of osteosarcoma (Table 2) (P < 0.002).

Cancer Medicine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "disproportionately rare" when you want to emphasize that something is not just rare, but its rarity is surprising or has significant implications in a particular context. For example, "disproportionately rare" genetic mutations may have a large impact on disease susceptibility.

Common error

Avoid using "disproportionately rare" when simply stating something is uncommon. This phrase is most effective when the rarity is unexpected or creates an imbalance, not just to add emphasis.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "disproportionately rare" functions as an adjective phrase modifying a noun, emphasizing that the noun's rarity is unexpected or notably significant. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

80%

News & Media

20%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "disproportionately rare" is used to describe something not only rare, but whose rarity is surprising, unexpected, or has greater significance than a normal rarity. As Ludwig AI confirms, the expression is grammatically correct. The primary usage contexts are science and news media, fitting the register of formal and scientific writing. When you want to emphasize something's rarity is unexpected or unbalanced, use "disproportionately rare" rather than simply saying it is rare. While related phrases like "exceptionally scarce" and "unusually uncommon" are available, be mindful that they may not always carry the same nuance of surprise or imbalance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

exceptionally scarce

Emphasizes the exceptional nature of the scarcity.

unusually uncommon

Highlights the unexpected lack of commonness.

remarkably infrequent

Stresses the notable lack of frequency.

surprisingly limited

Indicates that the quantity is less than anticipated.

distinctly sparse

Focuses on the clear and obvious lack of abundance.

noticeably deficient

Points out the clear inadequacy in quantity.

peculiarly scarce

Highlights the odd or unusual scarcity of something.

singularly uncommon

Emphasizes the unique nature of its infrequency.

markedly reduced

Focuses on the significant reduction in quantity or occurrence.

strikingly atypical in frequency

Highlights the fact that how often it occurs is notably different from normal.

FAQs

How to use "disproportionately rare" in a sentence?

You can use "disproportionately rare" to describe something that is not only rare but unexpectedly so, relative to what might be expected. For example: "Compared to non-native instructors in TESOL and commonly taught foreign languages, non-native instructors of the Chinese language are "disproportionately rare"."

What can I say instead of "disproportionately rare"?

You can use alternatives like "exceptionally scarce", "unusually uncommon", or "remarkably infrequent" depending on the context.

What does "disproportionately rare" mean?

The term "disproportionately rare" indicates that something is not only rare, but it's also significantly rarer than what one might anticipate, given the circumstances or context. This suggests an imbalance or unexpected scarcity.

Which is correct, "disproportionately rare" or "disproportionately infrequent"?

Both phrases are grammatically sound. "Disproportionately rare" focuses on the unexpected scarcity, while "disproportionately infrequent" highlights the unexpectedly low frequency. The choice depends on whether you want to emphasize rarity or frequency.